Medical consultants have reiterated their concern over the shortage of acute beds in medical wards at Mater Dei, which they have warned may lead to a crisis in the winter months, when the daily average patient intake increases considerably.

Medical Association of Malta president Martin Balzan has told The Sunday Times that consultants believed that the shortage of beds in medical wards would result in patients having to take up more surgical beds, which would lead to the cancellation of elective operations and lengthen waiting lists.

In his reaction to the statement issued by the Department of Information following a story carried on The Sunday Times on the shortage of hospital beds, Dr Balzan insisted that "fine-tuning of management planning is needed to avert a crisis in beds at Mater Dei Hospital, rather than laying the blame on doctors".

The letter from the DOI said that the number of beds at Mater Dei was equal to that of St Luke's, and there were additional beds at Zammit Clapp and Karin Grech hospitals.

"This should provide a stronger buffer than what was available in past winters with a few provisos," the DOI said.

However, Dr Balzan explained that the current bed statistics at Mater Dei showed that up to a third of surgical beds were already being occupied by acute medical patients, despite the rather aggressive discharge policy being implemented.

Contrary to what the DOI said, Dr Balzan insisted that the total number of beds at St Luke's Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital was higher than the number of beds at Mater Dei. At St Luke's there were 31 beds plus another 15 beds in the corridors. At Mater Dei there are 24 beds, he said.

Dr Balzan said that during discussions before the migration to Mater Dei Hospital, the entire consultant body, including the clinical chairman in the Medical Department, pointed out that there was an insufficient number of acute medical beds.

He said the health authorities responded to these concerns by roping in the help of consultants in the Geriatric Department and by recruiting additional nursing and support staff to provide additional rehabilitation beds at St Luke's and Karin Grech hospitals. This measure, for the time being, had averted a major crisis at the new hospital, he said.

But in the winter months, especially two to four weeks after schools re-opened following the holiday period, there was an increase in the number of people hospitalised because of a viral respiratory tract infection, which could develop even with a common cold. Dr Balzan said this meant patient intake could climb to 65 or 70 patients a day.

However, he said that to date no elective surgery had been postponed due to a shortage of beds.

In his letter, Mr Abela had maintained that all hospitals had winter crisis plans and Mater Dei was no different.

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